Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria (famous for playing the iconic, pampered wife, Gabrielle Solis) has in real life been an ardent advocate and forceful voice of women and Latin women’s empowerment.
As her career progressed from acting to activism to directing, Longoria has addressed numerous overlooked issues which have in one way or the other hindered the advancement towards gender equality in the industry.
One can grasp Longoria’s commitment to these issues from her statement on the topic: “I started producing and directing … so that I could tell stories from my community.” She’s made clear her intention of drawing attention to women’s roles, voices, and freedom in the realm of media and Hollywood.
Staying true to her words, the 48-year-old actress, activits, producer, and director quickly pointed out some of the key factors that make Hollywood a less progressive space for women. To be precise, she brought attention to the nuances of how certain markedly positive changes within the industry have failed to assure female empowerment in every aspect.
Longoria talked specifically about the MeToo movement and how its achievement in creating a safe space in the industry for women is not on par with a minimum of female representation in filmmaking.
Talking about how the directorial sphere is still a male domain with only a handful of notable female directors, Longoria told The Times how this glaring inequality makes Hollywood a less ‘progressive entity’:
“We are getting less jobs as directors than two years ago. People look at Hollywood as a progressive entity and it’s not… I think we’re more aware, thanks to the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, about what’s appropriate in work environments. That’s been a game-changer for our industry as far as how we’re treated on sets or in writers’ rooms and meetings. Has it led to hiring more women? I don’t think so.”
Being a significant figure in the media industry, not to mention an aspiring filmmaker whose feature film, Flamin’ Hot, is approaching its release in a week, it is safe to say that Longoria’s opinions reflect her personal experiences, struggles or observations. As excited as fans are to see her contribution to the directorial genre, it’s clear that her activist spirit has had an arguably larger impact on the Hollywood ecosystem.
